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The Palace of Shushan 

— AND — 

Other Poems. 



Tf^E PALACE OF SIjUSHAN 



— AND — 



otheh POE|V[S. 



BY THE AUTHOR OF 
'Christmas Eve in a Hospital." 






J.y t 

MILWAUKEE : 

THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO. 

1891. 






. t 






5 



Copyright. 

BY THE YOUNG CHURCHMAN CO. 

1891. 



PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. 



"THE Publishers have issued this small volume of 
Poems, because they are worthy of such a set- 
ting as has been given them. They are written by 
a devout Churchwoman, living in Community life. 

In this country, poems which breathe of sacra- 
mental life, or are what Churchmen understand 
by the term " Churchly," seldom find a publisher. 
Hence, Church people are dependent on English 
sources for poetical readings, or must use what are 
called " Religious poems " other than from Church 
sources, when desiring poetical writings of a devout 
character. These latter do not suit the tastes of 
Church people. 

This little volume is given to the public as a test 
of the demand for verses of a high order of spirit- 
ual composition. The Publishers, having done their 
part, await the verdict of their constituency. 



CONTENTS, 



Page. 

The Palace of Shushan ..... 9 

At Rest ........ 13 

"At Eventide it Shall be Light 11 .... 15 

"Behold I Come Quickly" . . . . .17 

Self-Consecration ....... 19 

Unfaithfulness . . . . . . .20 

" The King of Love My Shepherd is " . . . 23 

"Lord, what Wouldst Thou Have Me to Do?" . . . 25 

"He shall See of the Travail of His Soul and Be Satisfied " 28 

Jesu, Intercessor !...... 31 

Ingemisco . . . . . . • .33 

OLife, What is Thy Mystery? .... 35 

Hereafter . . . . . . • .39 

Christmas ....... 42 

The Birth of Jesus ... ... 44 

Baby Jesus . ... . . . • 47 

Our Lord in Prayer . . . . . . .49 

Good Friday and Easter ..... 51 

Good Friday Night . . . . . . .53 

Ascension Day ....-•• 55 

Come Unto Me— And I will Give You Rest ... .57 

At the Eucharist ..*... 59 

Before Receiving the Blessed Sacrament . . .61 

"We Also Have An Altar " .... 64 

Hymn for Holy Communion , .66 



The Palace of Shushan 
and other Poems. 



®fttf flalace off JWtualratt. 

(Esther 1st.) 

3 WAS dreaming of Shushan, the Palace- 
The Palace where Jesus is King, 
The lily-crowned Palace celestial, 

The Court of the heavenly King ; 
For there is the throne of His glory, 

Where, under His banner of love, 
Emmanuel spreadeth a banquet 

For all who will meet Him above. 
There bowers are fragrant with jasmine, 

And gardens with roses aglow, 
And there, 'neath the Breath of the Spirit, 

Sweet odors of Paradise flow. 

(2) 9 



10 THE PALACE OF SHUSH AN. 



The shadows there carry no darkness, 

For all is translucent with light ; 
And silence is vocal with meaning — 

They call it " the hush of delight." 
There myrtle is blending with citron, 

The almond and olive are there ; 
And pomegranate, scarlet and golden, 

And amaranth, deathlessly fair. 
There bright, happy flowers unnumbered 

Stand, saint-like, transfigured in light, 
But fairest of all are the lilies, 

Most dazzling, in raiment of white. — 
Palace triumphant, immortal ! 

Banqueting-hall of the Bride ! 
Thy blossoms are fragrant forever, 

Thy bowers in beauty abide. — 
How soft is the fall of the fountains 

That flow through thy gardens of spice 
How fair are thy ivory towers, 

Engraven with mystic device ! 
Thy pavement is porphyry and amber, 

Thy pillars are jasper and gold, 
Where hangings of carmine and azure 

Grow purple in shadow and fold. 



THE PALACE OF SHUSHAN. 11 

Thine archways are pure alabaster, 

Now vivid with rainbows of light, 
And now, in the cool-falling shadow, 

Most purely, translucently white. 
And still, at each step of the Spirit, 

New vistas unclose to the sight, 
Till the soul, in its rapture and wonder, 

Grows faint with excess of delight. 
So my heart fell to longing and yearning 

For radiant angels to bring 
My feet through its pearly-white portal, 

My soul to the seat of its King. — 
But why should I long for the Palace, 

And yearn for its splendors alone? 
There is glory transcending its glory, 

And rapture yet purer made known. 
There is God, in His marvellous beauty, 

The Centre and Fountain of light, 
The King of the Palace celestial, 

To crown me above with delight. 
When I kneel, even here, at His altar, 

He makes me His temple, His shrine ; 
I know then the Prince of the Palace, 

Its Treasure of treasures is mine. 



12 THE PALACE OF SHUSH AN. 



And if He shall suffer me ever 

To stand in His sight, purified, 
I think I shall only see Jesus, 

Whatever the beauty beside. — 
Across the wide ocean of glory 

My heart shall leap up to the throne, 
To see but the King of all glory. 

See Jesus and Jesus alone. 



AT REST. 13 



V /PON Thy Breast Thy children rest, 
^ Thy saints by death set free, 
Thy martyr train, whose fiery pain 

Hath brought them nighest Thee. — 
The flames they trod, swept up to God, — 

Before the crystal sea, 
Enrapt they stand, where angel band 
Make sweetest melody. 

Calm on Thy Breast Thy children rest 

Who have not sinned or striven, 
Safe, as of old, Thine Arms enfold 

These little ones of Heaven, 
Who bear no stain, who know no pain, 

Whose life from earth was riven, 
While pearly yet the cross lay wet, 

On brows the Font had shriven. 

Fair on Thy Breast pure lilies rest, 

Whose beauty ne'er can die, 
Their star of light, through earthly night, 

Was Jesus' loving Eye ; — 



14 AT REST. 

Their lives were given the King of Heaven, 

And now, beyond the skies, 
Their fragrance rare, the love they bear 

The Lord of Paradise. 

Hushed on Thy Breast the weary rest, 

Whose hearts were raised to Thee, 
When waves of sin and tempest din 

Strove hard for mastery ; 
To Calvary's Cross, 'mid pain and loss, 

Still clung they tremblingly, 
And now at peace, where tempests cease, 

They rest eternally. 

With all at rest upon Thy Breast, 

Our prayers rise ceaselessly ; 
Each Eucharist, Thy Church's tryst, 

With loved ones nearer Thee. 
Through Thy dear pain, may we attain 

The Vision fair they see, 
From strength to strength, to pass at length, 

To perfect purity. 



AT EVENTIDE IT SHALE BE LIGHT 15 



*^t (Bcentide it SJhall ge StsM/' 

"♦^FTeventide it shall be light," 
qJ -*- For God's own Presence makes it bright, 
And so I love to think at night, 

Of that fair home, dear Jesus, 
Where I in white would walk with Thee, 
And hear the wondrous melody 
Which sweeps across the crystal sea, 
From those redeemed by Jesus. 

Oh gates of pearl ! Oh streets of gold ! 
Oh loving Shepherd's blessed fold, 
Whose balm for sorrows manifold 

Is endless rest in Jesus ! 
Within those everlasting walls 
The shadow of no evening falls, 
The fadeless splendor of those halls 

Is from the throne of Jesus. 

Oh Land beyond the setting sun, 
Oh Land of blessedness begun, 
Of trial o'er, of triumph won, 

For all who trust in Jesus. 



16 AT EVENTIDE IT SHALL BE LIGHT. 

So lead us on from height to height, 
Until we reach the throne of light, 
And fall before the Infinite, 

The God revealed in Jesus. 



BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY. 17 



"feltold J fllome (Sftotyhlg." 

(c) HOULD He come to my heart as the 
^) Christ Child, 

The Jesus of Mary, to-night, 
I could give Him my heart as a cradle, 

Quite broken with love and delight. 

Should He come as the Christ of the Passion, 
With wound-prints in Hand and in Heart, 

Perhaps I might venture to offer 

The balm of my grief for their smart. 

But if He should come as the Bridegroom, 

The King, in His glory above, 
What gift could I bring to the Bridal? 
What pledge to the banquet of love ? 

Ah, then I should fall, in the darkness — 
Quite low at His Feet I should fall, 

And whisper, " Love, I have nothing, 
No, nothing, to give Thee at all." 



18 BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY. 

I pray for a dowry celestial, 

Love, from Thy glory Divine, 

That so I may lay it before Thee, 
And all may forever be — Thine. 



SELF-CONSECRA TION. 1 9 



^elji-dlons^ration. 

YJ HERE is no life soul-satisfying 

-*- But bears the print of Jesus' Dying ; 
Nor is there any joy so true and tender 
As that of sharing in His Self-surrender. 

I long to know more fully and more clearly, 
I long to feel more deeply and sincerely 
The strength-sustaining of His Life Divine, 
Made perfect in the weakness that is mine. 

And yearnings deep and tremulous pervade me 
To break from every barrier that hath stayed me; 
To free my hands from every earthly treasure, 
And clasp the gift of God in fuller measure. 

Oh give me love, so true it may not falter, 
To lay a whole burnt-offering on Thine Altar ; 
And then, if it be pleasing in Thine Eyes, 
Send down Thy fire and light the sacrifice. 



20 UNFAITHFULNESS. 



In^mtltfulness. 

YJ HOU haclst bidden me, Lord, to place Thee 

As a Signet upon my heart, 
And I knelt at Thy Feet to answer, 

" Jesu Thy grace impart, 
That I may be Thine forever, 

As Thou, Lord, art mine ; 
In body and soul and spirit, 

Be wholly and utterly Thine." 
But oh, I have been unfaithful 

To the promise I made Thee then ; 
I have failed to fathom its meaning, 

And grieved Thee again and again ; 
I have wounded Thy Holy Spirit, 

And lightly esteemed a love 
Which is all the praise of the angels, 

And the joy of the blessed above ; 
Yes, all that the angels are given, 

And all that the blessed know ; 
The joy that is theirs in heaven, 

And might have been mine below. 



UNFAITHFULNESS. 21 



I have given to self Thy sceptre, 

Yes, given to self a throne, 
In the heart which I vowed at the Altar, 

Should be given to God alone. 
And now that Thou comest, seeking 

The fruit of Thy love and grace, 
How can I dare to meet Thee, 

Or lift my eyes to Thy Face? 
How can I bear the searching 

Of that sorrowful gaze, when I know 
The heart that should mirror Thine Image 

Hath nothing but self to show, — 
Nothing but self to render, — 

For the little grace I have used 
Is nothing to what I have wasted, 

To what I have even refused. — 
With the kiss of Thy Mouth, oh kiss me, 

That the sword at Thy Lips, anew, 
The sword of Thy Holy Spirit, 

May pierce me through and through, 
Till self shall be utterly vanquished, 

Its death-blow struck by grace, 
And Thou, my Lord and Bridegroom, 

Enthroned in Thy rightful place : 



22 UNFAITHFULNESS. 

Till self, and its hateful power, 
Be wholly and utterly gone, 

And Thou, O my Lord and Saviour, 
Shalt lie in my heart, new-born. 



THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS. 23 



n 



9foq luuj of lout; W&\) Shepherd to" 

/yV JESU, Shepherd, be my Guide, 
Vl/ That I may never stray ; 
Jesu, in my heart abide, 
To gladden all the way. 

Upon that Shoulder let me rest, 
Which bore the Cross for me ; 

And hide me in that loving Breast, 
So pierced on Calvary. 

Let Thine own Arms around me be, 

My shelter and my rest, 
When sore beset by enemy 

Or weary, or distressed. 

Be Thy dear Feet my hiding place, 

Where I may lay me low ; 
To tell Thee, with shame-hidden face, 
The sins that grieve Thee so. 



24 THE KING OF LOVE MY SHEPHERD IS. 

Thy Cross my rod and staff shall be, 
Its strength shall strength supply ; 

Its grace shall keep and comfort me, 
Its pain shall sanctify. 

So bring me safely in Thy love, 

Jesu, Shepherd mine, 
To that dear home of peace above, 

Where all are whollv Thine. 



WHAT WOULDST THOU HA VE ME TO DO ? 25 

" lord, what ISouldst ®hou gat^ Pij 

to lo?" 

AY /HAT wouldst Thou have me do, Lord? 
V » What wouldst Thou have me do ? 
Thy light hath shone upon my way, 
But other lights confuse its ray ; 
Oh, be that light more clearly poured, 
What wouldst Thou have me do? 

Would that I might for Thee, dear Lord, 
Follow the chosen few * 
Who, in Thy Name, have braved disease 
In ghastly form, o'er Southern seas ; 
Yielding their life in glad accord 

With Thine own summons true. 

And yet a life of outward calm, 
If Thou but will it so, 
May well enfold the harder task, 
Which Thou from eager hearts would ask, 
To find their martyrdom and palm, 
In what they must forego. 



Father Damien and others. Isle of Lepers. 
(3) 



26 WHA T WO ULDST THO U HA VE ME TO DO ? 

Some souls there are whom suffering brings 
Converse with Thee to share ; — 
The fetter of a life-long pain 
Circles the body with its chain, 
But seems to lend the spirit wings 
Of glad ascent in prayer. 

And some, by sorrow, Face to face 

With Thine own Presence brought, 
• Seem ever walking in Thy sight, 
Illumined with an inward light, 
And manifesting forth the grace 

By bright reflection caught. 

And some there are whom Thou hast crowned 
With gifts most rich and free, 
To whom this added grace is l#nt, 
To find in each the instrument 
Of service which may more abound 
In lowly ministry. 

Oh, is it restlessness or pride 

That craves for action still ? 
Or must each loving, longing heart 



WHAT WOULDST THOU HAVE MB TO DO? 27 



Be restless, till it find the part 
To them assigned and sanctified 
By Thy most holy will? 

All humbly, Lord, I make my prayer, 
Oh speak some word to me 
Which I may ponder in my heart 
Like Mary, till I learn the part 
Which Thou wouldst have me do or bear, 
Which /may offer Thee. 

Show me the way which Thou wouldst choose, 
To keep before my view, 
Lest in my eager, strong self-will 
I bend my purpose to fulfil 
Some quest self-chosen, and refuse 

What Thou wouldst have me do. 



28 HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL OF 



**% 



i$ JShalt ^ee of tin SIratraU off its ^oul 
and 1^ Stettajfei" 

TjESUS, Saviour, mighty Lord, 
QJ Still from age to age adored, 
At whose Feet the angels fall, 

Ever crowned King of all ; 
Word of God, most true, most pure, 

Which forever shall endure ; 
Judge upon the throne of white, 

Veiled in unapproached light, — 
Must Thy wondrous, sacred Name 

Suffer touch of human blame? 
Thou, the Holy and the Strong, 

Thou, our God, how long, how long, 
Shall the scoffing and the scorning 

Turn to jest Thy word of warning ; 
Shall the careless and unheeding 

Thrust aside Thine Arms of pleading? 

Jesus, Saviour, Lamb of God, 
Lowly and Incarnate Lord, 



HIS SOUL AND BE SATISFIED. 29 

Stooping thus, our souls to save, 

Unto cradle and to grave, 
Learning, for our sakes, to know 

All the depths of mortal woe, 
Scorned, forsaken, and denied, 

Scourged, rejected, crucified ; 
By Thy human grief and pain, 

Surely suffered not in vain, 
O, all-perfect Sacrifice, 

Let not man Thy Blood despise ; 
Son of Man, to Thee we cry, 

Suffer not that they deny 
Thee, Who didst their ransom bring, 

Perfected through suffering. 

Risen Saviour, Who dost bear 

On Thy Heart our every prayer, 
Thou of Light the Fountain art 

And we only see in part ; 
But we know that He Who died, 

Shall be surely satisfied 
For the travail of His Soul 

When He forms the perfect whole. 
Then the Lamb, on earth once slain, 

Angels, worthy, shall proclaim ; 



30 HE SHALL SEE OF THE TRAVAIL. 

Him, Who wore the thorn-wrought crown, 
Him, Who trod the wine-press down, 

When, of all His people, none 

Bat forsook their Promised One, — 

Every knee shall bow before, 
Evermore and evermore. 



JESU, INTERCESSOR! 31 

Jesu, Jntenjessor ! 

" Lord teach us how to pray." 

/^TjESU, Thou the Sinless, 
Vl/ Who livest evermore, 
To plead for us, the sin-defiled, 

Thy Father's throne before ; 
Jesu, Intercessor, 

Thou new and living Way, 
By which to that within the veil, 

We enter when we pray ; 
Teach us, the heavy laden, 

To lay before Thy Feet 
Our every care and burden down, 

And plead Thy promise sweet. 

O Jesu, Friend of sinners, 

Be with us when we pray, 
To whisper in our hearts the words 

That Thou wouldst have us say ; 
Our lips are all unworthy 

To breathe Thy precious Name, 



32 JES U, INTERCESSOR ! 

Yet shed Thy blessing on the prayer 
Which brokenly we frame ; 

And, by Thine own indwelling, 
Uplift us to Thy throne, 

That so our every prayer may prove 
The echo of Thine own. 



INGEMISCO. 33 



Jngeminro- 

" Thy Will be done." 

^TEACH me, dear Lord, through life till 

-*- death, 
With quickened, or abated breath, 
By thinking steadfastly on Thee, 
O'ershadowed by Gethsemane, 
To say, as it becometh one 
Who followeth Thee, "Thy Will be done." 
Not that I would not dare complain, 
Nor yet because such strife were vain, 
And that I know no moan or cry 
Can change the Will of God on high, 
And would not utter my distress 
To One Who holds me powerless ; 
But that I wholly trust His love 
Who watcheth o'er me from above.-— 
Life seems so hard, O God, at times to bear, 
Yet still I know that Thou its weight wilt share, 
And strength sufficient give, from day to day, 
Whereby I onward still may tread my way. 
Or if I feel I cannot bear my loss, 



34 INGEMISCO. 



I will remember Thou didst sink beneath Thy 

Cross. 
When faint from scourge and bitter mockery 
Treading the weary way to Calvary, 
Thy path was marked by Blood from Brows 

thorn-crowned 
Which late, for me, were pressed upon the 

ground, 
Wrestling in such an agony of prayer 
As none, but Thou alone, could know or bear ; 
And this was borne for me, my God, for me ! 
By thoughts like these, oh keep me true to Thee. 



O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 35 



Ovk Wvx?/, S$ Zgdij. 

U X) jukjgqv trjv ifjvx^)y (xvrov iv rop hogjugj 
rovroDy ei$ ^odijv aiooviov cpvXa^ei avrrjv." 
—St. John 12 : 25. 

(V\ LIFE, what is thy mystery? Thou stand- 
^^^ est veiled 

Beneath an ever- varying play of changeful form ; 
A beauteous tissue of decay, whose evanescent 
Gleams of shifting light halo, yet hide thee still. 
And thou, a shrouded thing, art dumb 
And unresponsive to our cry, standing within 
Creation's temple, mute, like the dim Isis 
Of a buried past ; before the carven silence 
Of whose brow a myriad votaries sank prone, 
Uplifting helpless bands of hopeless pain 
In the mute pathos of unsolaced woe. 
What is thy sceptre, Life, that we should sue 
To thee and serve thee with such vassalage 
Of pain ? What boon is thine, and whence 
Thy royalty ? Art thou not, rather, but the bride, 
The mask of Death ? His plaything and his toy? 



36 O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 

The gaily-colored mantle wherewithal he 
Wraps his grisly form when he would seek 
To win us, which, as we clasp it, loosens, 
Leaving us fast-locked in Death's embrace, 
A portion for the earth-clod and the worm ? 
life of sense and soul, of blood and brain, 
Of agony, and striving, and unrest, nor thee, 
Nor thine we seek, but that calm deathlessness 
Which lies beyond thy gift ; whose name alone 
Thou bearest, but whose truth thou neither 

know est 
Nor canst give, to us, who crave to enter 
Into life in verity ; a life whose radiance 
Of immortality shines down on thy poor 
Taper spark of earth-born life, as steadfast 
Stars upon the torch's glare — the struggling 
Torch's self-consuming glare, which gasps awhile 
Beneath Death's murky pall, then, smouldering, 
Falls, extinguished, at his feet. — Not life we seek 
But immortality ; and seek it at Death's portal, 
For the Same Who gave, and tasted, life of 
Man ; Himself Life's Source and Fountain- 
head, — 
The Verity, whose bright similitude 
Thou glassest for awhile within thy heart, — 



O LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 37 

To lose it, swift again, amid the waves 
Of thine unrestful surgings ; — He, Himself, 
Hath bidden us forsake and scorn thee still, 
Aye, hate thee, to the end. And thus, in solemn 
Tryst with thy dread bridegroom, Death, 
We wait to learn the knowledge of those 
Mysteries, which now thy smiling lips withhold 
From us, but soon, pallid and blanched beneath 
His icy touch, no longer shall refuse us. — 
When he, thine all-compelling master, shall 
Have laid his hand upon thy brow, chilling 
Thy fevered pulse, and silencing the over-eager 
Beating of thy heart ; when his hand 
Hath stripped away the garments of thy 
Beauty, and relaxed thy clinging hold of all 
Earth's bauble treasures, — aye, when he 
Hath robbed thee of thy substance, bidding 
Thee yield it to nourish other life than thine, 
Then, poor Soul, shalt thou be sanctified, — 
By the sharp agony of that last cry, wherein, 
Yielding thy spirit up to Him Who gave it, 
Thou, at last, shalt lose thy life, to find 
His Life Who gave thee life ; Who, having 
In Himself all plenitude, and needing 
Naught, shall make thee all His own ; 



38 LIFE, WHAT IS THY MYSTERY? 

Uplift thee to Himself, and setting thee 
Within the circle of His own Infinity, 
Shall give thee of His fulness, evermore 
To know and share. 

Oh Life, thy charm 
Is fled, — Stretch out thy hands to God 
And pray Him, of His mercy, bring thee Home. 



HEREAFTER. 39 



A V /HAT will it be, my God, what will it be? 
* * That first, first step into the world unseen, 
That first unveiling of the life to come, 
When the eye closes to the scenes of earth, 
And the last farewells die upon the ear, 
What will the wakening be, in that 
Hereafter, on the other side of death, 
Where God is All in all and earth is nought? 
Where former things have wholly passed away 
And God forevermore is All in all? 
When the rent veil lays bare the holy place, 
The inner temple of God's Sanctuary, 
Bringing the soul within His Presence-chamber, 
Laying the new-born soul unclothed before 
Her Judge, — What will it be, that first 
Dread sight, ineffable, of Him, before 
The dazzling brightness of Whose Face 
Her secret sins are set? Beneath Whose gaze 
Of awful purity, her every deed and thought 
Recorded lies ? And what will be that dread 
Twin vision of her secret self, born of the Sight 
Of God and following hard upon it, 



40 HEREAFTER. 

Circling it, as shadow circles light. 

When every feature of His holiness 

Reveals, in the clear light of truth, self-love 

And sin in all their naked hideousness ? 

Will the recoil of horror and self-loathing 

Plunge the soul into a deep abyss 

And sunder it from God, while penitential 

Sorrow spreads a veil of blinding tears between ? 

Hiding away His glory, till she learn 

In ever-deepening pain, the fulness of 

Her own unworthiness ? Or will that Face of 

love, 
The radiant brightness of those five dread 

Wounds 
Rivet her gaze wholly and utterly, 
Leaving her powerless to feel aught else 
But their own power to draw her nearer God? 
Let it be so, my Lord and God, for me. 
Fix Thou my gaze, dear Lord, on them and 

Thee, 
Although their brightness witnessing 
Of Calvary's Cross, acquaint me with its pain, 
And that dread handwriting of sin inscribed 
Thereon, yet let me but behold 
The fulness of Thy love, that I may know 



HEREAFTER. 41 



Its power to sanctify, for Thou hast said 
That they who suffer may draw nearer Thee, 
Making the very sharpness of their pain 
To be a sacrament of hope to all 
Who pray for pardon at Thy Feet- 
Then, O my God, look down, whate'er the pain 
May be, I pray Thee, look deep down into 
My heart, probing its very depths, and scan 
It through and through ; take my two hands 

in Thine, 
And then, having all knowledge of me and 
Ail power, do with me as Thou wilt.— 
Work all Thy Will in me ; so, through that Will, 
I may be found wholly conformed at last, 
My God, to Thee.— 

Oh blessed pain, whereby 
I may attain thereto ! W T hy do I now 
Shrink back from the faint foretastes of that 
Burning touch, whereby Thy Hand would print 
The Cross upon my brow and seal me as Thine 

own ! 



(4) 



42 CHRISTMAS. 



<pptma». 

"I believe— in one Lord Jesus Christ, Who 
for us men and for our salvation came down from 
Heaven." 

[In the choir of Cologne Cathedral is a series of tapestries 
illustrating the Creed. One of these, representing the Christ 
Child as in the act of taking His Cross to descend to earth, sug- 
gested the following verses :] 

"7DEHOLD the Christ Child from on high 
<$i>J Comes down to suffer and to die ; 
Behold, behold, He takes His Cross 
To bear the weight of human loss. 
A flood of radiant glory pours 
From out the everlasting doors 
As He, the very Light of light, 
Comes down to make our darkness bright. 
Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, 

The pure of heart and holy ; 
Oh wondrous Birth, when God to earth 
Came down in guise so lowly ! 

Saviour ! Who didst not abhor 
The manger and the bed of straw, 



CHRISTMAS. 43 



In our poor hearts we longing pray, 

Light of the world be born to-day ; 

Christ Child ! knocking at the door, 

Abide, abide, for evermore 

As to Thy temple enter in, 

And make and keep us pure from sin. 

Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, 
The pure of heart and lowly ; 

Oh wondrous Love, which from above 
Came clown in guise so lowly !. 

Christ Child, come our hearts" to bless 
Despite our great unworthiness, 
Thy holy Cross shall be our guide 
To lead us on, whate'er betide. 
The raising of Thy pierced Hand 
Shall point us to Thy Father's land, 
And Thou, our Comforter and Stay 
Shall sanctify us day by day. 

Oh Christ the Child, the Undefiled, 
The pure of heart and holy ; 

Grant Thou that we may learn of Thee 
The Wonderful, the Lowly ! 



44 THE BIRTH OF JESUS. 



WM Jirth of Jesus- 

" Now the Birth of Jesus Christ was on this 
wise."— St. Matt. 1 : 18. 

3N the beauty of the lilies 
Christ was born across the sea," * 
And was cradled with the lowly 

In His spotless purity ; 
'Mid the sin of all the ages, 

Sinless stands the wondrous Child 
Who was born of Blessed Mary, 
Holy, pure, and undefiled. 

From the heart of God in heaven, 

From the throne exceeding bright, 
Of the Infinite Creator 

Who hath veiled Himself in light, 
Christ, the Saviour, stooping earthward, 

For the love He bare His own, 
Left the vision of His Father, 

And the glory of His throne. 



* First two lines from "Battle Hymn of the Republic," by 
Julia Ward Howe. 



THE BIRTH OF JESUS. 45 

He was welcomed at His coming, 

By a holy, happy throng ; 
By a flood of golden glory, 

And of sweet, celestial song ; 
Then the farewells of the angels 

Died away upon the air, 
But they left the little Christ Child 

In the manger rude and bare. 

'Mid the humblest of Judea, 

There was none so pool as He, 
Who was laid amid the cattle 

By the Maid of Galilee, 
For a manger was the cradle 

Where the Lord of Life drew breath, 
And a Cross the cruel pillow 

Where He rested in His Death. 

Yes, He came from Heaven's brightness 

To a dreary world of night, 
But He gave Himself as freely 

As the sunbeams give their light, 
From a home of spotless beauty, 

To a world grown old in sin ; 
But He came to heal its sorrows 

And He longed to enter in. 



46 THE BIRTH OF JESUS. 

Like a ray of golden glory, 

O'er a waste of waters wild, 
Was that Birth forever blessed 

Of the Virgin undefiled. 
By the brightness of Thy shining 

O'er the waves of sin and death 
Guide us to the heavenly portal, 

Jesu ! Star of Nazareth. 



BABY JESUS. 47 



Stobu Jesus. 

" Baby Jesus Who didst lie 
Underneath earth's darkened sky." 

— Kingsley's " Saints' Tragedy." 

^"TQ ABY Jesus, Who didst lie 

(^iJ Underneath Judea's sky," 
Cradled on Thy Mother's breast, 
Rocked by Mary to Thy rest, 
By the love which laid Thee low, 
Helpless in a world of woe, 
Holy Child, I pray to Thee, 
Jesu, Saviour, save Thou me. 

Crownless King, low-cradled where 
Ox and ass Thy shelter share,— 
Wondrous glory hangeth o'er 
Bethlehem's manger-bed of straw 
And the Wise men bend the knee 
Owning Thy Divinity. 
Lowly Jesus, teach us how 
Humble hearts to bring Thee now . 



48 BABY JESUS. 

Little Feet, in after days 
Treading life's sharp, thorny ways, 
Weary oft, yet not so worn 
As the Heart by sinners torn — 
Pierced at length and bruised by nails- 
Jesu, when my courage fails, 
At the Feet which bled for me 
Let me learn to follow Thee. 

Little Hands, that shall fulfil 
Through all life Thy Fathers Will, 
Tender baby Hands, for me 
Clasped in helpless infancy, 
Motionless outstretched to plead 
On the Cross, our bitter need, 
Oh dear Hands, reach down to me 
Draw me nearer, nearer Thee. 

Baby Jesus, throned on high 
Far above earth's changeful sky ; 
Bethlehem's Lily undefiled, 
Very God and very Child, 
Let my heart Thy cradle be, 
Thine a dwelling place for me, 
Till I reach Thy throne on high, 
Who for love of me didst die. 



OUR LORD IN PRAYER. 49 



<©ur Hor L d in fntger- 

PEACE broods upon the mountain top 
And sleeps upon the sea, 
And twilight holds communion 

With the hills of Galilee,— 
No ripple stirs the water, — 

No echo wakes the air, — ■ 
But Nature's heart is silent 

While her Lord is bowed in prayer. 
Into the glassy water 

The steadfast stars shine down ; 
The moon, above the mountain, 

Hangs like a golden crown. 
The sky is all unclouded blue, 

Deep mirrored in the lake, — 
(God grant us still from His dear Face, 

Our semblance so to take). 
The mountain peaks, like lofty deeds 

Mount up to win the skies, 
Which still, like God's own holiness, 

As far above them rise. 
Their dizzy summits cannot pierce 

That limitless expanse, 



50 OUR LORD IN PRAYER. 

Earth's loftiness and lowliness 

Lie level to God's glance. 
Meanwhile the golden moon drops down 

To kiss the lake's dark brim, 
As God may stoop to succor those 

Who cannot rise to Him. — 
Beneath her touch the waters gleam 

With lustre not their own, 
Like saints, who flash the glory back 

From God's most holy throne ; 
All silently the evening mist 

Ascends to heaven above. — 
May God so lift us up to Him 

And His great Heart of love. 



GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER. 51 



(Bood Jr L uIitt) and (Baster* 

(fTsAVIOUR of the world, before Thy Cross 

^ we fall ; 

The sunless noontide doth our hearts appal; 

Alone, alone in darkness Thou dost hang, 

To suffer to the uttermost Thine every pang. 

No human watcher can Thy conflict see, 

Nor mark the weight his sins have laid on Thee. 

The crown of mockery Thou still dost wear, 
The print of nails in Hands and Feet dost bear ; 
While cruel tauntings from the crowd below, 
Rise up to mock Thee in Thy bitter woe, 
From all that crowd who know not what they do,, 
Nor ho w they pierce that heart of mercy through . 

But still no answer from that Cross above, 
Falls on Thy mockers from those Lips of love; 
Thine utter silence, like a mighty cry, 
Takes hold upon the throne of God on high, 
With voiceless lips and outstretched arms to 
„ plead 

For Heaven's mercy on our guilty need. 



52 GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER. 

Jesu, Who Thy shameful death didst die, 
Our every sin with Thee to crucify, 
Praying Thy Father they might be forgiven 
Who through Thy Hands and Feet the nails had 

driven : 
Oh save us, lest we knowing what we do, 
Should pierce and crucify Thee, Saviour, too. 

The glorious light of Easter breaks the gloom ; 
The Son of God is risen from the tomb ; 
Behold Him clothed with strength and grace 

to save, 
Where is thy sting, death, thy victory, grave? 
Behold the Hands and Feet of Him who died, 
The Lamb once slain, forever glorified, 
And with the hosts of Heaven fall before 
The Face of Him who liveth evermore. 



GOOD FRIDAY NIGHT. 53 



(Hood Jrifeg Jpjjltt. 

( k jH weary Son of God, at last, at last, 
^-^ Thine hour of agony and shame is past ; 
And white and still, against the darkened sky, 
Thy lifeless Body hangs outstretched on high. 

The majesty of death is on Thy Brow, 
And all Thy taunting foes are voiceless now ; 
Silence is round Thee, and the trembling air 
Holds but the accents of Thy dying prayer. 

The dark recesses of the sunless sky 
Still vibrate with the anguish of that cry : 
That twice repeated " Eloi !" which rang from 

out the tree, 
Till shuddering hills reechoed faint, " Lama 

Sabbacthani.' 1 

But now the Heart which suffered is at rest ; 
The weary Head sinks low upon the Breast. 
Yet one best pledge of love to us is given, 
When deep the spear-wound through the side 
is driven. 



54 GOOD FRIDAY NIGHT. 

So stands Thy perfect Sacrifice complete ; 
Thy love hath graven it in Hands and Feet, 
And with the precious Blood, from Thy dear 

Side, 
The Covenant of mercy ratified. 

Christ of the Five Wounds, to Thee I pray, 
Imprint Thine Image on my soul to-day, 
Thine own prophetic word fulfil to me, 
And draw my whole soul upward unto Thee. 



ASCENSION DAY. 55 



Ascension §ag. 

^THOU art gone up on high — 
-L Yet so to draw us nigh ; 

Thou art gone up on high ; 
Yet not to thrust Thy children far away, 
But to lift our hearts, by a golden ray, 
To the upward path and open way, 
Through the pearly gates to the realms of day 
AVhere cometh the night of darkness never, 
But the glory of God shineth ever and ever. 

The City of God stands fair, 

In light beyond compare ; 

The City of God stands fair, 
And its glory draweth our hearts to Him, 
Before Whose throne the seraphim 
Veil their faces and raise the hymn 
Of Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, 
Forever and ever by all adored. 

And the heart must utter its cry 

To follow Thee more nigh — 

The heart that loves must utter its cry 



5 6 ASCENSION DA Y. 

To follow Thee, though it be by a Cross, 
Though it be by the ladder of earthly loss, 
Though it be by esteeming all things but dross, 
The heart that loves must seek Love's Source, — 
And seeking, shall find its goal and rest 
In the fathomless love of Thy wounded Breast. 



I WILL GIVE YOU REST. 57 



Come unto $Ri»— Sjuui J trill <Biuq gou 
$est. 

/q)OME unto Me, saith Christ the Lord, 
\*^__^To all by sin oppressed — 

Come unto Me, Who died for thee, 

And I will give thee rest. 
Be not afraid, saith Christ the Lord, 

To bring Me all thy grief, 
The keenest smart shall be my part, 

And thine the sweet relief. 

Come unto Me, weary one, 

For I can give thee peace, 
And wash thy stain, and still thy pain, 

And bid thy sorrows cease. 
Thou canst not measure all My love, 

Nor all its fulness know, 
Yet trust in Me Who died for thee 

Because I loved thee so. 

None els^e hath aught to offer thee, 
Poor, doubting, sin-tossed soul, 

(5) 



58 / WILL GIVE YOU RBST. 

Then find a rest upon My Breast, 
For I can make thee whole. 

None other bore such pain for thee, 
Nor sought thee in thy sin, 

But I laid down My golden crown 
And died thv life to win. 



AT THE EUCHARIST. 59 



Jit the dki[teist 

3 HAVE met Him and been kissed 
At His wondrous Eucharist ; 
I have looked up in His Face, 
And have seen the passing grace 

Of the Christ upon His holy Altar shown. 
Oh, it was no fancied power 
Which so wrought in me that hour, 
For my spirit had no wing 
To uplift itself and cling 

To the threshold of the glory of His Throne 
And His Voice was all too sweet, 
As I knelt before His Feet, 

To mistake it for an echo of my own : 
I could only lie quite still 
While He bound me at His Will 

With a power, oh, so holy and so blest : 
For L never should have known, 
If His mercy had not shown 

What the beautv was He had to manifest. 



AT THE EUCHARIST. 



Can I go forth from the power 
Of the Vision of that hour, 
With no bright reflection caught 
From the Presence which I sought, 

With no glory in my bosom shining still? 
Is there darkness in the breast 
Where the Holy Child doth rest, 
Or within my heart no throne 
Which the Christ may make His own, 

While I joy to do the bidding of His Will? 
In the living sanctuary 
Where the Holy One doth tarry, 

In the temple which His Presence deigns 
to fill, 
Has the light so quickly fled 
And the darkness come instead ? 

Are the joy, the calm, the peace, so quickly 
o'er? 
Has the Bridegroom come and gone 
In the early, early morn, 

And left me just as lonely as before ? 



BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT. 6: 




S$)jorq fetping the Itemed ganrament 

(An act of Dedication.) 

|END down, Ever Blessed, from Thy 
burning throne above, 
Bend down, bend down, to hear me, for the 

fulness of Thy love, 
In its wondrous, awful nearness, seems more 

than I can bear 
And I pour my heart out to Thee in intensity 
of prayer. 

Oh, if in very, very deed, Thy love can stoop 
to me, 

Add yet this last, best pledge of love, and make 
me meet for Thee, 

Jesu, bend in mercy down and grant me all 
my prayer, 

Or else Thy very love will prove a pain I can- 
not bear. 

It fills me with a sense of shame I never knew 
before, 



62 BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT. 

Which deepens as Thou drawest near and 
wounds me more and more, 

Until I almost feel afraid so close .to Thee to 
press ; 

Thy Presence making manifest my own un wor- 
thiness. 

Oh, wrap Thine arms around my soul and give 
me grace to rise, 

And ever to press bravely on to where my treas- 
ure lies — 

My treasure, hidden in Thy Heart, my life in 
Thee above, 

Stoop low and lift me up to Thee by Thy con- 
straining love. 

Oh give me love to know Thy love, and love to 

love Thee more, 
Who art my One sufficing Love, henceforth 

fore verm ore ; 
Nor let me fail to win the gift because the heart 

I bring 
Is all too poor a casket, Lord, to hold so great 

a Thing. 



BEFORE RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT. 63 



Bring me to dwell forever in the Vision of Thy 
light, 

The beatific glory of God, the Infinite, 

Forever and forever, where the dwelling of the 
bride, 

Is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Bride- 
groom's pierced Side. 



64 WE ALSO HAVE AN ALTAR. 



t also gatr? an gUtar." 

(tTPREClOUS Body of our God, 
^-^ Blood which Thou dost offer, 
Be this Thy Sacrament, Christ, 
Beyond the breath of scoffer ! 

Lamb of God, the Sacrifice, 
Upon the Cross once bleeding, 

And now, before the Father's throne 
Forever interceding. 



Be Thou our Priest, O risen Lord, 

To consecrate our Altar, 
To draw us closer up to God 

When our faint hearts would falter. 

Be Thou the Minister, Christ, 

Thyself to give unto us ; 
To feed us with the Bread of Life, 

To breathe Thy Spirit through us. 

With sinful hearts we come to Thee 
And pray Thou wouldst renew us, 



WE ALSO HAVE AN ALTAR. 



And with Thy Soul, Thy Strength, Thy Life, 
More deeply wouldst imbue us. 

wondrous, patient Saviour Christ, 

We taste Thy Body broken, 
Of Thine unwearied, ceaseless love, 

To us the seal and token. 

precious Hands, which once were pierced 

For us in Crucifixion, 
And wide outstretched in dying love 

Were raised in Benediction, 

We know Thee nigh, blessed Lord, 

And humbly fall before Thee, 
And from our very inmost hearts 

Would worship and adore Thee. 

O grant us then that Face to see, 

Which once was marred and gory, 

Enthroned in highest heaven above, 
Ineffable in glory. 



66 HYMN FOR HOLY COMMUNION. 



Upm for Hotg Okmmuniom 

" Oh God, Who in the wonderful Sacrament of 
the Altar hast left us a memorial of Thy Passion." 

(TTdEAREST Lord and Saviour, 
^ We fall before Thy feet 
O'ershadowed by the glory 
Of Thine own Presence sweet. 

We kneel before Thine Altar, 

Whose lights burn clear and bright, 

Betokening Thee, Saviour, 
Thou very Light of light. 

We hear Thy words of comfort — 
Thy blessed words of peace — 

And pray Thee of Thy mercy 
Our faith and love increase. 

We pour our heart's sin-burden 

Upon Thy loving Ear, 
And then, in grace and power, 

We feel that Thou art near. 



HYMN FOR HOLY COMMUNION. 67 



We gaze upon the Chalice 

And Bread, uplifted high, 
And bless Thee, holiest Saviour, 

That Thou art come so nigh 

To comfort and to pardon, 

To cleanse us and to heal, 
And in our guilty weakness 

Thy gracious strength reveal. 

We are not meet, O Saviour, 
To take this Broken Bread, 

But plead Thy gracious bidding 
By Whom our souls are fed. 

Wilt Thou not freely pardon, 

And lift us up to Thee, 
Who yet dost bear in Heaven 

The love of Calvary? 

great High Priest eternal, 

Before Thy Father's throne 
Plead, plead for us, the Blood-bought, 

Sin-stained, but still Thy own. 



68 HYMN FOR HOLY COMMUNION 

So, by Thy Hand upholden, 

Lest flesh and spirit fail, 
We shall have strength to enter, 

Through Thee, within the veil. 

Through Thee, through Thee, we enter, 

wondrous, living Way; 
With Thee, at God's high Altar, 

To minister to-day. 



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